Time to rebuild our country

THE much awaited harmonised elections have come and gone.
The voting process was smooth.
It was a process that firmly places Zimbabwe among the most democratic nations in the world.
People were free to do as they pleased as long as this was within the confines of the law.
The contesting parties were able to access every corner of the country without undue interference.
This has been the most critical aspect of this campaign.
A happy people, a happy nation and free citizens.
That is why we will not tolerate violence, in any form.
Unity and tolerance has been the most outstanding aspect of this election.
We thank Zimbabweans for that.
And that is the reason we condemn any act of violence.
It is this unity that we should preserve going forward, not sponsored violence which does not respect the will of the people.
On this unity we must build.
We must not allow people to abuse our democracy.
This idea of wanting to grab, or get into, power by all means should be condemned in the strongest of terms.
The injuries and scars arising from unwarranted and unnecessary demonstrations are squarely on the conscience of those instigating the violence and no one else.
We have a nation to build and should not allow thugs to hold the country to ransom.
We want to extricate our country from the economic malaise.
Thus, we have no time for infantile hooliganism.
Let us bring together our thoughts, our feelings and our minds and crown them with one common goal, that of rebuilding Zimbabwe.
Let us look back at our immediate past and translate the lessons that we have learnt into a formidable curriculum which carries our hopes.
The lessons of our immediate past have taught us to be tolerant of divergent views, to agree to disagree and to be one people driven by one common goal.
We are a thriving democracy but some in our midst are abusing that democracy and want to steal it from the people.
There is no room for thugs.
There is no space for people with evil intentions.
These acts of violence are deliberate, orchestrated to present an image of a country in chaos.
Zimbabwe is not in chaos.
It will never descend into chaos.
The instigators of this senseless violence must be brought to book.
No one is above the law.
It is no secret that our infrastructure, in its totality, needs serious and urgent attention.
Thus, we cannot treat people destroying it with kid gloves.
Our destiny is in our hands.
But our success requires unity of purpose, hard work, commitment and dedication.
It needs the collective effort of all Zimbabweans.
No to violence, in any form!